Illustration

Illustrating picture books requires first having a story to illustrate. Some in the publishing industry, incorrectly assume that the story is the writing. The story is the story. It can be written down, and usually is. But it can also be told in pictures on the wall of a cave with a burnt stick and received 6000 years later. A really good story can be told in silent film using neither static illustrations or text. Cartoons tell stories and use a minimal amount of text – sometimes non at all.

Often however the greatest impact a story can have is when it is communicated using a combination of mediums. Like the cartoon mentioned above, the most hilarious Sunday paper comics are generally those that are both written and illustrated at an exceptional level.

In the near future, I will have articles (in the menu to the right) that cover the table mechanics of illustrating children’s picture books.